Derwood - An American Farm in New Jersey

U.S. Farm Facts90% are owned and operated by individuals or families.In 1935 there were 6.8 million farms in the U.S.In 2007 there were 2,076,000 farms in the U.S.There are 65,000 dairy farms in America today.Most dairy farms have less than 200 cows.The average age of the American farmer is 55.

New Jersey which is oneof the most densely populated states in the U.S., has 9,800 farms. This is the story of one such farm.(Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2008)

Derwood Farm was founded in 1985 by Mark and Nancy Kirby and is 400 acres in size.

The Derwood Farm is located in Central New Jersey, along the South Branch of the Raritan River in Hillsborough.

It is part of New Jersey’s The Farmland Preservation Program, which is administered by the State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC))Being a part of the NJ Farmland Preservation Program means that land will forever be preserved as farmland. More importantly it limits urban sprawl, and guarantees that the connection between to the land and New Jersey’s agricultural traditions as the Garden State is continued.

Principal crops are soybeans, corn, wheat and sunflowers

Derwood Farm also raises livestock and produces forage and grain.

Holsteins Cows and Hereford Cattle are the two types of livestock kept at the farm

The owners of Derwood Farm participate in New Jersey’s 4-H Program and students from Somerset County can lease a cow from the farm and work all year long with their animal.

Life on a farm is a continuous circle…Thumbelina, born Spring 2009…Everyday brings a new adventure.

© Joseph Martinelli, 2009Special Thanks to Mark and Nancy Kirby of Derwood Farm.Photos Taken with the Nokia N95NSeries Multimedia Phone Sources:http://www.nj.gov/agriculture/sadc/farmpreserve/ http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome http://www.njaudubon.org/Conservation/Farmers.html